Los Angeles, March 5, 2025 – LeBron James has cemented his legacy as the most prolific scorer in NBA history, becoming the first player to surpass 50,000 career points in both regular season and postseason play.

The Los Angeles Lakers superstar hit the milestone on Tuesday night against the New Orleans Pelicans at the Crypto.com Arena, where he entered the game with 49,999 points. It took the 40-year-old just moments to reach the historic tally, sinking a deep 25-foot three-pointer off a pass from Luka Dončić. The crowd erupted in celebration as James extended his record to 50,002 career points.

James, now in his 22nd NBA season, continues to defy expectations with his longevity and elite level of play. He had already made history in 2023 when he surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s long-standing all-time regular-season scoring record of 38,387 points—a record that had remained unbroken for 39 years.

Now nearly 6,000 points clear of Abdul-Jabbar’s total career points of 44,149, James sits atop the all-time scoring leaderboard, far ahead of Karl Malone (41,689), the late Kobe Bryant (39,283), and Michael Jordan (38,279).

Among active players, Kevin Durant is the closest to James with just over 35,000 points—still a staggering 15,000 points behind. With James showing no signs of slowing down, his record could remain untouchable for generations to come.